Peterborough Sports boss knows the secret to winning a Southern League title: ‘When we work hard we can beat anyone, but if we don’t work hard we just aren’t very good.’

Now the challenge is to maintain that form to keep the pressure on new leaders Coalville and title favourites Banbury.

Coalville overtook Sports while they were delivering a ‘disgraceful’ display to exit the FA Trophy at lower level Felixstowe and Walton last weekend. Sports are three points behind, but with two games in hand, while Banbury sit a further point back in third with a game in hand on Jimmy Dean’s men.

Sports travel to Dean’s old club St Ives on Saturday (povember 20) before hosting an improving Alvechurch team next Tuesday (November 23, 7.45pm).

“I told the players before the Royston game there were question marks over some of them,” Dean revealed. “Well they answered those questions in style. We were a disgrace at Felixstowe and deservedly lost, but the reaction against Royston was great. It was just what I wanted to see.

“What we must realise is when we work hard we can beat anyone, but if we don’t work hard we just aren’t very good. I did rest some players in the FA Trophy game as the competition was not a priority, but I still expected a better showing and a win. The opposition quite simply wanted it more. But we looked much more like ourselves against Royston.

“We played on the front foot, pressed high and played good, aggressive, attacking football. I was very happy, but we need to maintain that standard now. We were winning games without always playing well. That was never going to work in the long run. We have two tricky games coming up as St Ives have brought in an experienced manager to help out while Alvechurch are in good form and they play good football.”

Sports have signed Kettering forward Decorrey Sheriff on loan and he made his debut as a substitute against Royston. Mark Jones is currently sidelined after a run of eight goals in eight games.

Marquee summer signing Michael Gash is expected to lead the line at St Ives. Sports have won every game Gash has started this season apart from the FA Cup loss at King’s Lynn.